In under two weeks, I have sold all but THREE tank tops (I have 2 mediums and 1 large left) and have raised over $650 for Planned Parenthood. That fact just blows my damn mind and I am incredibly and unbelievably grateful for everyone who ordered, shared and supported this project. When I ordered them originally I did not imagine they would go so fast, or even at all, and it fills my heart with joy like the Grinch who stole Christmas. I'm not sure yet if I'll order more once I sell out but if there is interest let me know!
In other news, I recently joined Twitter. While I still think it can be a reflection of some of the worst parts of humanity: ignorance, bigotry and terrible spelling, I think for the purposes of enhancing my awareness and seeing what other people are doing it is a great tool. Also, I finally know the best TV sitcom episodes to put me in the holiday spirit so basically it's all worth it. The only reason I really bring this up here is I want to take a second and talk about trolls and I do not mean these gender-neutral dreams from my childhood:
Source
I'm talking about internet trolls. We all know who I'm talking about: the men and women on social media who repeatedly and incessantly chime in, often unprovoked, to deny the existence of white privilege/racism/sexism/any other -ism or construct that has been incontrovertibly demonstrated through research and the shared experiences of generations of people or, at worst, threaten the safety and security of people with whom they do not agree. When I signed up for Twitter, my loving and unwaveringly supportive husband expressed some concern that people would be "mean to me." It's sad but true that my initial response was "yeah. No shit." In truth, one of the reasons I took so long to join Twitter is that I didn't want to invite trolls into my life. I have plenty of experience with people being unkind or critical of me in my personal life, did I really want to open the doors and windows of my world to people I don't even know? My answer for a very long time was a whole-hearted "no." However, after starting this blog and thinking about trolls quite a bit, I realized a few things. Firstly.
a fear of people being mean to me is not a reason not to do something. When I think back on decisions I've made in the past that were based out of or motivated by this fear, I have often done things I have regretted that sometimes resulted in me being unkind to other people and untrue to myself. Why should I allow a fear of people who don't agree with me to silence me? Isn't that the point of speaking out in the first place? To be quiet in the face of bullying and trolling is to play into the system that silences so many. Though this is obviously far more complicated than a competition where there are winners and losers, by allowing bullies to push me into silence I am in this instance allowing them to win.
I'm going to be honest with you here for a second (I mean, really, all the seconds but it sounds good and like I'm about to make some grand reveal when I say it like that. Am I building suspense? Is it working?). Ok, seriously, sometimes writing this blog scares the shit out of me. Not because it's being read by tons of people (it's not. Hey mom and dad! Thanks for the support!) or because what I'm saying is that revolutionary but because I have made the choice to put myself out there and say things that many people don't understand or agree with I sometimes feel as though I am in a vulnerable position. But I made this choice because I think it is unfair to ask other people to put themselves in unsafe, insecure and risky positions in the work of activism and advocacy if I am not willing to do it as well. I'm not suggesting that writing a blog is the same as putting one's body on the line during marches and protests. What I am suggesting is that risk is involved in making change, whether that be the risk of arrest or physical harm during a protest or the risk of having an uncomfortable conversation with a peer. Fear of discomfort and backlash is a very powerful tool in silencing those who believe and know we can do and be better. While people of color are speaking out against police brutality and an unequal justice system, violence against transgender and LGB populations is peaking and indigenous and native people in this country have been hosed in freezing temperatures while protecting land that is legally theirs, how can I allow a fear of someone saying something mean to me to shut me up? This is a clear and overt demonstration of my privilege as a white, educated, heterosexual cisgender female and I need to see it, feel it and do something about it. Each person has to decide for her of himself when it is safe to speak out and, in truth, sometimes it is not. And sometimes people are exhausted and tired of experiencing the same things all the time and don't have the energy at that moment to say something and that is fine. We have to do what we need to to stay safe and sane. However, my point here is that not everyone gets to make the choice about feeling uncomfortable or unsafe. Discomfort is a part of change. Think about how horrible growing pains were as a kid. It's like that except we're talking about people's lives.
So follow me on Twitter if you're nice (@theliberalb). I can't promise to tweet interesting things but I can promise to like AND retweet a post about cozy bars with fireplaces in Denver.
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